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Books December 4, 2008, 5:00PM EST

The Best Business Books of 2008

(page 2 of 2)

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Heller's analysis covers a range of topics, from wireless policy to the control of urban sprawl.

One of the year's outstanding management books draws lessons from Procter & Gamble (PG), where innovation has fired a turnaround this decade. The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation (Crown Business) by P&G CEO A.G. Lafley and management consultant Ram Charan, "stands out thanks to its concrete explanation of P&G's method and...rich company examples," said reviewer Robert Berner. Lafley takes us inside the company, and Charan provides external management analysis.

Innovation is also vital to the nation's revival, argues New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman. His Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America(Farrar, Straus & Giroux) is a call to unleash creativity—and capitalism—on the challenges of energy and climate change. The author hops from Sumatra to Connecticut and China to document the interplay of trends.

Another book that considers developments abroad is Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China (Spiegel & Grau) by former Wall Street Journal writer Leslie T. Chang. In China, the process of migration from rural to urban areas has intensified over the past 30 years. Chang gained unusual entrée into the world of young women migrants in the 8 million-strong city of Dongguan. The result, said reviewer David Rocks, is a "penetrating view" of people whose lives seldom make it into the spotlight.

Finally, for an upbeat read, consider Outliers: The Story of Success by New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown). Challenging common wisdom about achievers, he says it's key to have the right opportunities at exactly the right time—and the presence of mind to seize them. Examples range from Bill Gates to sports stars. Gladwell ends by arguing for educational reforms that, he says, could broaden opportunity. His points are well worth pondering.

Business Exchange related topics:
Business Innovation
Innovation Economics
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Green is books editor for BusinessWeek .

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